


Diner Memories

by livscrains



Category: The Haunting of Hill House (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 19:59:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16729770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livscrains/pseuds/livscrains
Summary: Just a broken name, sitting alone in a diner.





	Diner Memories

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for stopping by and reading this fic! I hope you enjoy it because I instantly fell in love with Olivia and then Olivia and Hugh and I just love their love so much. Don't forget to leave some reviews or suggestions for future fics. Thanks!

Diners were always Olivia’s favorite, he thought. And as he stood outside one, the very same one they’d come before the kids were born, before the color storms, before the house.. He couldn’t help but feel a heavy weight on his chest. The kids might’ve been grown now, but they’d never understand. They’d never understand because he didn’t want them to, because he wanted to be the one to bear the tragedy.. Not his kyte. Not the woman he’d been destined to love. 

It seemed like his feet carried him inside, no control over his own movements as he found a booth in the back. They’d come here on a date once, he remembered. She’d worn a beautiful floral dress and her hair had been shorter and curlier back then. Olivia’s hair had always been curly, but she used to curl it specifically when she saw him. That was something else he loved about her, as if the list wasn’t endless. 

Tears pooled in his eyes as he thought back.. If he was lucky, he’d spend eternity in his thoughts, no matter how much his therapist told him how unhealthy it was. 

FLASHBACK: 

“Hugh!” Olivia chuckled, her hands moving to his chest as he tugged her close, a soft kiss being pressed to her lips. “What? You look so beautiful.. It’s hard to keep my hands off you. “ They were younger then. Time hadn’t worn on them yet and the smile she responded with was free of the laugh lines that would soon appear. “It’s a good thing your mother didn’t see us. I thought for sure she was going to catch you sneaking out.” Hugh’s mother had never been Olivia’s biggest fan. Maybe it was because she knew that with her, his head would forever be tethered to the clouds. Hugh Crain didn’t care, though. He’d met the love of his life and he knew the moment he laid eyes on her.. Nothing was ever going to change how he felt about her. 

“What can I say? I’m a rebel.” Those words instantly caused Olivia to chuckle and she pressed a final kiss to his lips before she took his hand, tugging him inside the diner. They’d been dating now for a month. Thankfully, she’d said yes when he asked her, after having been best friends for two years. How had he gone two years without telling her he loved her? How had he never slipped up? He was impressed with himself for keeping it in for so long. 

“Do you want something to drink first?” Hugh asked, eyeing Olivia with a certain boy-ish glee. 

PRESENT DAY: 

“Would you like something to drink, sir?” The waitress asked, loudly chewing her gum, a notepad in hand as she waited for the man to speak. He seemed to be in some sort of daze.. But she didn’t question it. Mostly because she didn’t care. “Oh, uh… I’ll have a Coke. Thanks.” 

“That it?” She said, her voice mirroring nails on a chalkboard. Hugh’s eyes shifted for a moment before he smiled to himself, though it seemed like he was a bit uncomfortable. “And a grilled cheese.” 

“Comin’ right up,” She said, taking her leave. As she left, Hugh sat back in his seat, his eyes falling to the sweetner packets on the table.. But his mind was elsewhere, as usual. 

“You remember this place, babe?” Imaginary Olivia asked, the image of her sitting across from him popping into his head. Without even looking up, he smiled. “How could I forget?” 

FLASHBACK: 

Once they’d eaten their food, they were lost in conversation. They’d talked about their favorite movies ( as if they didn’t already know ) and their favorite music. They’d talked about Hugh’s dreams of building houses and anything that Olivia could dream up. They’d talked about how Olivia wanted to go to Paris on day… they’d even talked about marriage. To some, it might’ve seemed too soon.. But to them? It seemed like time was running out and there weren’t enough minutes in the universe to possibly love each other enough. 

“How many kids do you want?” Olivia found herself asking. At the question, Hugh couldn’t help but shrug. He was still unsure, but one thing was clear.. As long as Olivia was at his side, it wouldn’t have to matter. “Two, probably. I haven’t really given kids much thought, though.” Olivia simply smiled and looked at the counter, the various rings on her fingers picking up the light. “I want five. Five little babies.. Three girls, two boys.. Twins, too.” She’d had dreams of that many children, ever since she was little. And now that she was twenty-one? She couldn’t stop seeing them in her sleep. “I know, it sounds like a lot.. But they’d all be so good and they’d all take care of each other. And I’d take care of them. Never let anything hurt them.” 

At the sentiment, Hugh smiled slowly. He’d never heard it put like that, especially not by anyone his age. “You sound so certain that’s what you want. It’s.. endearing.” Olivia grinned and looked up at Hugh. “Yeah, I guess so. I mean, Janet and I, we fight like cats and dogs, but at the end of the day.. I’m glad I have a sister. I want my children to be able to say the same. I don’t expect them to never fight, either. It’s normal. But.. I want them to have each other so that when I’m gone, they have someone.” So elegantly put. It was like she wasn’t from Earth. She really was some kind of angel, in Hugh’s eyes. 

And then, Olivia chuckled, her head shaking. “Sorry, I don’t mean to get all morbid. I just.. You’re the only person I’ve ever been able to talk to like this.” 

“No, it’s okay. I like talking about this stuff with you.” And with that, they both smiled. As Olivia’s eyes moved about the diner, she gasped softly. “Hey, look at that!” Hugh’s attention immediately turned to where she was looking and he squinted. “Oh, what do you know.. A jukebox.” Before he could say anything else, Olivia was moving to stand up and head over to it, taking in all its beauty. With that, she glanced back at him with wide, excited eyes. “I think I have a few quarters,” Hugh said, matching her grin with one of his own. 

It wasn’t long before they’d settled on a song after slipping some coins into the machine: “You are my Sunshine” By Johnny Cash. One of Olivia and Hugh’s favorites. The first time she’d ever heard it, she’d told him that it reminded her of them. That was the same day she’d given him the “line” nickname. 

Thankfully, there was no one in the diner.. So when Olivia took Hugh’s hand and ushered him to dance with her, he didn’t even pause. He probably wouldn’t have anyway, but he always was clumsy. He had two left feet. But with her? It felt like he was floating on air. After several moments of figuring out where to put their hands, what to do with their feet, Olivia was pressed against his chest. His hands rested on her lower back as he pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. His girl. Finally, after so long.. They were as they should be: together. “You know…” He began, letting out a breath, “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.” 

Olivia couldn’t help but grin, a kiss pressed to his jaw. “I don’t think I have, either.” 

PRESENT DAY: 

“Here’s your Coke. And here’s your grilled cheese.” The waitress who Hugh noticed her name was “Molly”, placed his food and drink in front of him. He smiled in response, letting out a quiet “thank you” before she nodded and went back to work. 

It was a sad picture, really. A man.. All alone.. Sitting in a diner that he’d once visited with the love of his life. The only difference? She wasn’t with him anymore. Only in his mind. 

“You look so sad,” Olivia said again, her head tilting. “ Cheer up, hon. This place isn’t meant to be sad in. This is a place we went to together. I don’t want you to be sad, okay?” Reaching across the table, the Olivia in his head pressed her hand to his and gave him a reassuring smile. “Eat up, okay? You haven’t eaten anything all day.” 

Hugh simply looked at her, nodding at her words before he began eating again.. Eating and thinking. 

FLASHBACK: 

“Hugh?” Olivia asked, pulling back only slightly so she could get a better look at him. “Yeah, Liv?” Her arms shifted, slowly moving around his neck before she grinned. “I love you.” And there it was. Those three words.. She loved him. And all he could do was stare at her in shock. The shock only lasted a moment, however, and he quickly got ahold of himself long enough to respond. “Wow.. I love you, too. “ 

“So much,” She said, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. 

It was a moment he’d never forget for the rest of his life. The moment she’d said she loved him, the moment that had changed his life completely. Before the house, before the mold, before that… night. They were just two kids, hopelessly in love, prepared to sell their souls for more time together. 

PRESENT DAY: 

“Don’t do that, Hugh,” She scolded lightly, sitting back. “Don’t blame yourself. Those last few days in the house… they were nobody’s fault, okay? You did what you had to do to protect those children and that’s all I ever wanted. You protected our babies, Hugh.” 

Covering his face with his hand, Hugh sniffed a bit before he looked up at her. “I left you there all alone, Liv... “ 

She simply smiled, shaking her head. God, she looked like an angel. “But I’ve always been with you. You couldn’t have stopped it. You couldn’t have done anything differently, nor would I have wanted you to. I loved you in death, just as much as I did in life. Please, don’t blame yourself.” 

That was easier said than done, though. 

From the corner of the diner, the waitress named Molly simply stared at him talk to himself, shaking her head as she dried off a dish. 

“I wanted to save you so bad, Olivia. So bad. Not just for me, but for the kids. I… I’m sorry I couldn’t.” Despite his somber tone, his emotions were seemingly stopping him from crying. He didn’t think he had any more tears left. He was just.. As he was. 

“I know, my love. I forgive you.” 

He must have imagined this a million times… being forgiven by her. Each time, it felt real.. But he didn’t know if it was. He didn’t know if she was just a figment of his imagination, used to cope, or the real thing. 

After he finished the rest of his food, he placed a tip on the table and began collecting his coat. Before he was able to leave, Molly came over, clearing her throat. “I remember you. You and your wife.. You danced all night to that jukebox. I’d just started workin’ here and.. Well, I wanted you to have this.” With that, she held out a black and white polaroid picture of the two of them, dancing and embracing by the jukebox. Glancing at the corner, Hugh noticed that it was no longer there. Molly caught his glance and sighed. 

“It got smashed when we got robbed a year ago. Had to have it sent out, but realized it was just too much for too little profit. Nobody used it.” 

“Hm..” He said, looking down at the photo before he smiled a bit. “Thank you, uh.. Molly.. For this. You have a good night.” The waitress nodded and Hugh set out into the world, fresh memories in his mind. 

Just two kids in love. Before the house.. Before the mold… before that tragic night.


End file.
